Google Launches Google Earth
Posted on June 29, 2005
Search Engine Watch reports that Google has launched its Google Earth search tool. Google Earth combines local search tools with maps and satellite images.
Google Earth is a standalone application that's essentially an enhanced and upgraded version of its Keyhole 3D satellite imagery product. As Google has done with several of its past acquisitions, the company has also made the application free to all users, dropping its annual subscription fee for the basic version. Google Earth Plus with additional features will cost $20 per year.Google Earth is a desktop application that needs to be downloaded from the Google website or order to work. Google says it works on both PCs and MACs, but that older machines, or a notebook computer that does not have 3D graphics capabilities, may not be able to run the application. Here is some information about just how detailed the 3D mapping tool is from Google Earth's faq:
Are there cities covered in detail worldwide? Or just in the US?The whole world is covered with medium resolution imagery and terrain data. This resolution allows you to see major geographic features and man-made development such as towns, but not detail of individual buildings. Additional high-resolution imagery which reveals detail for individual buildings is available for most of the major cities in the US, Western Europe, Canada, and the UK. 3D buildings are represented in 38 US cities (the major urban areas). Detailed road maps are available for the US, Canada, the UK, and Western Europe. And Google Local search is available for the US, Canada, and the UK.
